IWMW2018 – Event theme and call for submissions information

Your chance to get involved

IWMW 2018 will be taking place at the University of York, 11 – 13 July 2018. This will be the 22nd annual Institutional Web Management Workshop, and IWMW continues to be the premier staff development forum for those with responsibilities for providing institutional web services and other digital channels. Indeed, it has just been cited as a ‘one to watch’ in theTop 10 must visit conferences in Europe for digital professionals.

Following on from last year’s theme, ‘It’s the end of the institution as we know it (and we feel fine), the 2018 event will be exploring the theme ‘Streamlining Digital’.

The web has changed beyond recognition over the last decade, and so has the role of the institutional web team and the professionals within it. With new technologies and channels of communication emerging at a rapid rate, we’ve grown from mainly technical teams of web editors and programmers/developers into multidisciplinary digital professionals in a unique position to drive excellent user experiences and nurture our institutions’ digital footprints. Our work is no longer standard and operational, but strategic, agile and responsive.

However, there’s still a long way to go. Our time and resources are often stretched, and senior management and stakeholders are still unsure how the web, and associated digital channels, can help the institution reach its aims and objectives.

With the rise of omni-channel marketing and communications, Generation Z, Millennials, and Alphas, organisational restructures, and budget-cuts, how do we become experts in measurement and reporting, governance and compliance, and the voice of our users? And how do we get our expertise recognised?

Most of all, how can digital teams stay one step ahead and keep on doing more, in the most effective, user-oriented, and collaborative way?

IWMW 2018: Streamlining Digital will explore these topics, and more.

Get involved

The 2018 Advisory Group will be launching the official Call for Submissions in the next few weeks. In advance of that, we would like to invite anyone who may be interested in getting involved in the event, in any way, to get in touch for a chat. The shape of the event is constantly evolving, and we are always open to new session ideas, new ways of getting delegates involved, new sponsors and supporters, and different ways of sharing resources before, during, and after, the event itself.

In the past, we have had plenary sessions, workshops, masterclasses, panel sessions, poster displays, and sponsor stands, as well as the more informal networking that takes place over the breaks and during the social events over the three days.

The IWMW 2017 programme is available on the website but use this for information rather than how 2018 will run.

Taken part in something great at another event? Heard a speaker you think would be perfect for the audience? Fancy organising a morning jog to get people raring to go? Get in touch, we’d love to hear from you.

There is a #iwmw2018 channel on the HE-Digital Slack Workspacefor all comments and suggestions, or you can contact the Advisory Group members direct, either through Slack or using the details on the IWMW website.